Tyner: Run for office, get a website

The owner of the Austin-based marketing and design firm, Alt Creative, will now offer a discounted website-design service for potential candidates running for public office, with the goal of encouraging diversity in political representation.

“As evidenced in the last Presidential election, online communication has wide influence,” said Tyner. “A website allows candidates an official online foundation to lay out their platform of issues. Additionally, it serves as a tool to collect donations to fuel their campaign.”

Tyner hopes this new service will remove the cost of web design as a barrier to run for underrepresented candidates.

“When more people of varied backgrounds have a seat at the table, problems become easier to solve and more citizens and businesses can reap the benefits,” she said. “Encouraging diversity among our politicians for the benefit of the community is the long-term strategy. In the short term, we also expect some marketing and up-sell benefits as well, which is really just icing on the cake for Alt Creative.”

Tyner says Alt Creative’s has made community service part of its mission since the beginning.

“I would love it if our governing bodies were closer to representing our populations,” she said, noting that while 51 percent of the U.S. population is female, women represent just 20 percent of Congress. “The ideal would be that by removing this one barrier of running we can help change the imbalance.

“If we can help even one underrepresented candidate get elected, I will consider this service offering a success.”

Any potential candidate that falls into the underrepresented category by gender, race, orientation, ability, or age and supports equality is eligible to receive this discount, regardless of political party. Alt Creative is now offering minority candidates a fully-constructed campaign website for as low as $100. Applications for this discount are available on Alt Creative’s website.

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